Compliments Challenge

When you give or receive a compliment, your brain releases a chemical called oxytocin. It’s sometimes referred to as the “love chemical.” Oxytocin helps us feel happy and closer to others and can ease stress and pain. Giving compliments makes people smile and helps to build stronger friendships and boosts confidence. Spreading kindness like this can help your school or community a more positive place to be.

This activity explores how kindness and connection can spread through simple words and actions. You’ll create and share compliments that highlight what makes people awesome.

What you’ll do:

• Work together to spread kindness.
• Create and share compliments with your class or school.
• Track how many compliments are given and share how they made you and others feel.
• Then, celebrate the positive effect on your school community.

Tips:

• Focus on who someone is or what they do well, rather than how they look.
• Run your challenge for a week or a whole month to keep the kindness going.
• Encourage teachers and school staff to join in.
• Hand out small rewards to students who spread lots of compliments or are creative with their compliments.
• Share positive stories and celebrate effort and impact, not just how many compliments are shared.